


A Slightly Mismatched Match Set

by anarchycox



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pretend Relationship, but here we are, in love and didn't know it, slight fantasy elements, which is not a usual tag for this ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 12:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21632755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anarchycox/pseuds/anarchycox
Summary: Eggsy finds out that Percival and Merlin are soulmates and thinks that is super cool.They aren't, they've been pretending for 15 years.So clearly, of course, they are soulmates.
Relationships: Merlin/Percival (Kingsman)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 172





	A Slightly Mismatched Match Set

“Merlin, I think you will find that I am quite correct.”

“With respect, Percival, I think you will find that I am the correct one.”

“With all due consideration, I would ask that you reconsider your position.”

“Indeed with no offense meant, I would ask you, agent to do the same.”

“I hesitate to argue, but I was quite thorough in my analysis.”

“I am sure, and know that I do not question your research, but you don’t perhaps have the information I have at my disposal.”

Eggsy raised his hand like he was back in school. “Right, what the fuck is going on?” He looked between Merlin and Percival in confusion. “Seriously, what is going on, it’s a pretty straightforward mission, innit?” About half the table groaned, and Harry actually kicked him under the table. “Ow?” he winced. Oxfords bloody hurt when they kicked you.

“Don’t interrupt the domestic,” Harry hissed. “Or we all suffer.”

Eggsy was confused.

“Domestic squabble,” Bors added. “When the marrieds fight, happens what every other year or so, we all just sort of zone out until it is done. Because they’ll go on like that for another hour.”

Eggsy looked around, and most every bloke nodded. Roxy was only there via glasses, and he was pretty sure she was actually a cardboard cutout. “Marrieds? And how is that a domestic?”

“Because they are really saying fuck you, jump off a cliff, step on infinite legos, and the like,” Harry explained. “That is how they curse each other out. It is exhausting. I do wish they would take this to the gym or bedroom, but no it is going to go on like this.”

“Or, Arthur, you could just agree with me, and we could move along, unless you lot would like to continue gossiping. And for the record, since maybe I can get this to stick in Eggsy’s head at least, Agent Percival and I are not married. We are a matched set.”

Eggsy’s jaw honest to god dropped. “You two are fucking soulmates?” He took out his phone, and took a picture of them. “Holy shit, that is so damn cool!”

“Charming,” Percival said. “But I must insist that Arthur look at the data objectively, and I do apologize again for this, but I do believe study will show that I am correct in this particular situation.”

“Okay, yeah, that one did sound like fuck you, when you listen for it. Wait, I heard soulmates can’t argue, that it honestly physically hurts them, is that why you two aren’t just cursing each other out?”

“It is,” Merlin admitted.

“I beg your pardon, I thought it was always a weird foreplay we were all suffering through,” Harry said. “You cannot fight without it hurting?”

“Arthur, this is common knowledge about matched sets.”

“No it isn’t,” Harry argued. “How did you know about that Eggsy?”

Eggsy looked at him. “Are you serious? Do posh parents not read their kids fairy tales? In the bloody stories isn’t it? A true matched set, not an almost match or a sorta match, or close enough match like what 95% of the planet is happy with, has a few markers. The blessings or curses of being a matched set on depending whether you believe it were a gift from the seelie or unseelie court of long ago.” Eggsy held up a finger. “One, true match means fighting physically hurts. Two, true match means you share dreams. And Three, true match means -” Eggsy cut himself off. “Uhh, can’t remember what the third means.” He gave a smile to Merlin. He wasn’t going to say it, because if they had managed to keep it secret they wanted it kept secret.

“Googling,” Tristan muttered, and at least four agents had their phones out. Roxy still hadn’t moved which proved the cardboard cutout theory.

“Third, true match means that somewhere on our bodies appears the first words we said after we realized we loved each other,” Percival filled in. “Now then, I trust we are done with this, and can dismiss the meeting so that Arthur can go over my work and realize I was right?”

“All due respect -”

“Ugh, okay always wanted to be a matched set, but fuck if that is how you have to fight, I’m starting to think close enough is close enough.” Eggsy looked at Harry. “Sir?”

“Yes, thank you agents,” Harry dismissed them. He was looking at Merlin. “I’ve seen you naked. Countless times.” Everyone that had been leaving stopped very still, honestly a little scared to move. Wanting to see how Percival responded. “There are no words on you.”

“Synthetic skin, Harry. Kingsman owns enough of me, I don’t think that they need to have something that intensely personal. I created it, and we both wear it to protect ourselves. For him on missions, me from having something that matters that much to me exposed for all the world to see.”

“My apologies,” Harry said with a regal tilt of his head.   
  
“Uhh, why do you see Merlin naked, countless times Harry?” Eggsy asked. 

“Because they work out together,” Percival answered. “Showers, steam room, and the like.”

“Oh right, yeah. That makes sense.” Everyone seemed a touch annoyed that there was no salacious reason and filed out. “Matched set. Brilliant.” He took another photo, and ran before Merlin could murder him.

*

“I have to say, Eggsy’s enthusiasm puts a bit of a damper on the situation,” Percival said. He was packing for his mission, Merlin sitting in his chair in the bedroom. Percival never actually sat in it, it was just Merlin’s. “Do you think it is perhaps time we told everyone the truth?”

“You are the one who started this,” Merlin pointed out, not looking up from his reading. “Oh fucking hell, I bloody hate you.”

Percival didn’t smile. “I was right?”

“Fuck off, you taintpuddle.”

“Lovely.” Percival packed a pair of socks. “But still. He seems to sincerely believe in matched sets.”

“That’s because matched sets are real.”

That rather gave Percival pause. “You believe in them?”

“Of course I do,” Merlin looked up. “You knew that.”

“No I didn’t, or I would have never asked you to pretend to be mine, when James was getting too interested in me.” They had been living this lie for 15 years now, and Percival was rather comfortable with it. Merlin made an excellent flatmate. They had moved in together 12 years ago, when word had finally spread enough that it would look odd that they didn’t live together.

They could have ended it long ago, but both of them were creatures of habit, and had become accustomed to one another. But this was something else entirely. “Merlin, I am so incredibly sorry. I have been selfish.”

Merlin looked confused. “Why?”

“Because I have taken up years of your life where you could have been finding your match, with my inability to figure out a way to tell a colleague no thank you, I don’t want to date. I am worse than Harry.”

“Nonsense, no one is. If I was unhappy with the situation I wouldn’t be in the situation.” Merlin shook his head. “I have no problem with how we live our life. You are a good flate mate, a good friend. I enjoy your company. And besides just because I believe in matched sets, doesn’t mean I believe in them for me. Who’d want to be a matched set with me?” Merlin snorted a bit. “No, better to stick with the lie. Too used to you at this point to want to give it up.”

“I am used to you as well.” Percival zipped close the suitcase. “Now then, if you would please tell me I was right and you were wrong, just one more time before I leave?”

Merlin stood up, and went over and kissed him. “No,” he said, and pulled Percival down to the bed.

They had started fucking 8 years ago, because well the other person was attractive and right there. In for a penny, in for a pound and all that.

Percival honestly wasn’t sure if what Merlin’s hand around his cock, or the whispered words “you were right, you always are,” that had him coming, but he supposed it really didn’t matter. Merlin’s weight pinning him to the bed always was the best thing for centering him before a mission.

On the flight he drifted off and dreamed of a small hill in Scotland, just outside a small village. He had been dreaming about the place for years, one day he really should remember to look up if it was a real place.

Back home, Merlin smiled in his sleep dreaming of the hill that he had played on as a child.

*

“Will ye fucking listen to me agent?” Merlin roared into the comms. “You need to get the fuck off that building. Yes, I said you were right, but it was about the overall parameters shifting, not you taking position on that particular rooftop.”

“Well I am here now, so a bit too late for that, isn’t it?” snapped Percival.

“I swear to all that is unholy in this world I’ll show you a bit too late when you get home,” Merlin growled. A pressure headache had been building ever since he had arrived and taken over Percival’s comms lines.

“Sir? Aren’t you compromising each other and the mission?” his assistant asked. “What with the whole -”

“Not now,” both Merlin and Percival roared, and both winced at the same time.

“You are hurting each other,” she whispered.

“I am down two cups of coffee, of course I am hurting,” Merlin said.

“And I’ve been up far too long, and have too many drugs in my system keeping me awake.” Percival was clearly adjusting his position. “Why didn’t you want me on this building anyways?”

“Because it has been abandoned a bit too long, and people have been tearing apart walls for the copper wiring. I have questions about its structural integrity,” Merlin explained.

“Oh, that is a valid concern,” Percival had to admit.

“Almost like I know my job. Imagine that,” Merlin commented. He looked at the cameras they had, and he just had the sense he sometimes did. “Percival, get off the roof.”

“The mark will be -”

“Agent, you need to get off that roof.” It was deep in his spine. He had felt it for Harry in that church. For Lee. For a few.

“Will you just -” Percival was clearly getting ready to start the fight all over again.

“Oliver, I can’t live without you,” Merlin felt the words fall out of his mouth; he hadn’t meant to say them, they just were there.

“Moving,” Percival replied. He didn’t even grab his gun, and he once had had a bullet in his stomach and still disassembled his rifle, packed in, and carried the case to where he was being met.

The cameras caught a large truck barreling down the street. 

“Faster, jump to the next building,” Merlin watched. Helpless. The truck drove right into the building. He heard the explosion and then saw it. And he didn’t see Percival. “You fucker, you just had to be right,” he whispered. He allowed himself five seconds of terror, of heartbreak, and then he started hammering at his keys, while his assistant was still frozen in shock.

*

He hurt a great deal.

Hurting was a part of being an agent, he was used to hurting. But this was slightly different. It was a physical and mental pain. He wanted his eyes to open but they were taking a while to listen to him. Eventually they did, and he saw he was in Kingsman medical.

That was a bit of a relief.

He looked about, and saw a nurse. He tried to speak but words wouldn’t form. He managed a cough, and she hurried over. The ice chip felt like heaven against his lips.

“Merlin will be so annoyed. Has barely left your side, seven days now, but Arthur said you were probably not waking up because of how gamy Merlin was starting to smell. Arthur and Galahad dragged him off to shower. He’s been so worried about you. Was starting to look dreadful. But that’s the way of matched sets isn’t it?”

Percival gave a faint nod, and fell back asleep.

When he woke he saw Merlin at his side working diligently on a small station that he seemed to have made out of the food tray. “You were right.”

“Of course I was,” Merlin replied without looking over. “You really should listen to me more.”

“More than most of the whole table.”

“Yes, that counts for so much,” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Listening to me 20% of the time. Fucking spectacular.” Merlin stopped typing, and turned to him. “I am furious at you for dying.”

“I am a ghost?” Percival poked his stomach. He felt fairly solid. “Boo.” Merlin didn’t jump.

“You died, for 23 seconds.” Merlin was looking at him. “In surgery. Cardiac arrest.”

“My apologies.”

“Accepted.” Merlin went back to typing.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know, I’m going to make sure of it.”

*

It was another ten days before he was allowed an actual shower. Merlin had been required for a mission, and a nurse was helping him. Even though he was in a shower chair, the water felt like heaven. He sighed happily. “May I stay for an hour?”

“10 minutes,” she said. “Let me help wash your hair.”

“My eternal thanks. Let me buy you a car.”

She laughed a bit, and the scalp massage felt like heaven. “We are terribly sorry that we can all see your matched words by the way. We know they are intensely personal to you and Merlin, but the blast must have burned the synthetic skin off, and it just hasn’t been a priority with all your injuries to have Merlin cover them again.”

“No it is quite alright,” he said and then he paused. “I’m sorry. Wait. You can see my matched set words. My soulmate words.” He didn’t have soulmate words. Merlin had made up the synthetic skin. It was an impossible thing. She gestured, and he looked at his dominant arm. There were words there, not in a beautiful handwritten script, but in Time New Roman 12 size font.

**You fucker, you just had to be right**

He began to laugh. It really was quite the funniest thing ever. He could seem to stop the laughing, and was happy that the shower was hiding the tears that joined in. 

“We are so sorry, and we’ve all agreed, we won’t tell a single agent no matter what bribe they offer. You and Merlin are always good to us.”

“My thanks.” The shower finished, and he was helped back to bed. “Could I be alone for a few minutes?”

“Of course sir, we can keep Merlin away, if you need a bit of time.”

“No, he is always welcome.” Percival smiled a bit. And then the smile grew. “You see, he is my matched set, you know.”

“We all know sir, have for years now.” She seemed a bit confused, but was clearly figuring it was the pain medication that he was still on.

Percival couldn’t stop the giggle. “Yes, right. Merlin is my matched set.” His smile was blinding as he realized how okay with this new information. “He really is going to have to invent synthetic skin now, that’s going to right piss him off.”

“I am sure he is already working on a new one that won’t melt off in the heat of an explosion,” the nurse agreed. She tucked him in and gave him the peace he asked for. Percival kept looking at that perfect print on his arm and wondered which of the sentences he had just said would appear on Merlin and where. He drifted off and dreamed of them making love, an incredibly romantic and soft experience. He wondered if it was actually his dream or Merlin’s.

It was Merlin’s.

*

Merlin sat beside Percival in the dining hall, the man slowly moving about again. People who had been denied access while he was in the hospital wing coming over and offering him well wishes and the like.

Eggsy came and sat to look at them both. “Okay, so like question.”

“Yes?” Merlin sighed a bit. Eggsy had been following him around, making sure that he was okay while his matched set recovered. If it hadn’t been exhausting, it would have been incredibly kind.

It was incredibly kind, and he loved the lad dearly.

“So, there are rumours, not quite in the fairy tales, because I think it if it were people would like it less. But I mean Percival died for 23 seconds. What were those 23 seconds like for you Merlin, because you didn’t die. Your screaming from your office when you were watching the cameras in medical show you didn’t die well enough.”

“Screaming?”

“I was a touch concerned when you briefly passed this mortal coil.”

Eggsy gave him a look, which caused a bit of a flush. “Touch concerned? You blew out your voice, and Harry thought an invasion or something was happening. Merlin, you scared Harry. And he don’t exactly scare easy.”

Percival reached out and brought Merlin’s hand to his mouth, and kissed it.

“Continue, Eggsy.”

“But the thing is, a matched set, one dies, something changes for the other. They never say what. And was curious what changed for you? If something changed for you. Or 23 seconds too short a time to notice?”

Merlin looked at Percival. “The world went black and white while you were dead. Blink no colour, you came back to life, blink colour.”

“Fuck,” Eggsy stared at them in awe and took another photo. “Fuck I do not want to love like that.”

Merlin looked at him. “Yes, you do.” 

Eggsy laughed at himself. “Yeah, I do.” He gave Percival a gentle hug. “Glad you are okay, yeah?”

“Thank you, Eggsy. We should have you over for dinner sometime.”

“You guys never have people over. Roxy said. She’s your family, and she seldom is at your place.”

Merlin quirked a brow at Percival who gave a faint twitch of lips back. It wasn’t being a matched set that let them read each other easily, it was the decade and a half pretending to be one that did it. “We are going to be changing some things.”

“Like how you are showing your words now.”

Merlin looked down at his wrist where it said  _ No, he is always welcome _ . “Aye, like that.” 

Eggsy nodded, and walked away after more well wishes.

“You know, I had almost hoped the words that would end up on you were ‘this will right piss him off’ to go with the cursing on my arm.”

“Sorry, you realized you love me in a slightly more romantic fashion.” Merlin grinned. “Gives a man expectations, you know.”

“You dream of a hill. When I am recovered enough for travel, will you take me there?”

“Aye, I would like that very much,” Merlin agreed. “We are quite an oddity.”

“How do you figure?”

“We grew ourselves into a matched set, that is an interesting thing.” Merlin looked at the words on his wrist. “Not how the stories go.”

“You read fairy tales.”

“Of course.” Merlin drank his tea. “Who doesn’t want happy ever after?”

“I have no idea.” Percival looked at him. “Merlin why did you agree to my scheme when I asked you for the pretense?”

“Oh, that.” Merlin shrugged. “It was to test if Harry could figure it out.”

“Was it?”

“No more absurd than your inability to just tell that Lancelot no thank you I would prefer not to date.”

“Fair.”

“I mean I am pretty sure I fell in love with you about five to eight years ago and just didn’t realize it enough until you know, you got blown up.”

“Well, I’m sorry but I have to beg to disagree, because I am certain I fell in love and didn’t notice first.”

Merlin’s grin sharpened. “All due respect -”

“Oh fucking hell, let him recover all the way before you start in on all that again,” Harry groaned as he walked by. “Really.”

They ignored Harry, as they often did.

“I do, with understanding of your position have to question the veracity of your statement.” Percival smiled at Merlin.

“The doctor said you are cleared for light exercise, shall we perhaps continue this conversation in a bedroom?” Merlin suggested.

“Now that I can very much agree with,” Percival said, and Merlin helped him stand up.

They had lost the ability to argue without hurting, but it seemed the sex was even better as a true matched set, so they agreed it was a fair trade off.


End file.
